Editorial
A Stronger Europe
Current times are marked by considerable problems and challenges in Europe. We are still suffering from the effects of the economic and financial crises. Discussions of public debt in the Member States still dominate activities. Crisis management is required. It is important that the overall perspective of Europe as a successful model for peace and freedom in an open society remains. The economic and fin...
News
EAHM: The First Results of Our New Direction
For the first time since its election and new formation after the 2010 congress in Zurich, Switzerland, the Executive Committee of the European Association of Hospital Managers (EAHM) came together. This 92nd meeting took place on May 20th 2011 at the General Secretariat in Brussels. It was up to the new President, Mr. Heinz Kö lking to welcome all delegates from the national associations coming from 17...
National News
Switzerland - Noise Triggers Post-Op Patient Infections
New research from Switzerland shows that noisy operating theatres have a negative effect on patients following surgery. Presented in the British Journal of Surgery, the study has found that surgical site infections (SSIs) result in patients who undergo surgery in theatres with significantly higher levels of noise, forcing them to extend their hospital stay by an average of seven to 13 days, and thus paying...
Germany - CKM US Study Trip
CKM (Centrum für Krankenhausmanagement), the Centre for Hospital Management at the University of Munster has organised an international hospital management US study tour. Taking off in July, this year's destination is Phoenix, Arizona. Participants will visit three hospitals: St. Joseph's Hospital, Barrow Neurological Institute and the Mayo Clinic. Entitled "best practice management in a care-driven heal...
UK - Fewer Patients Staying in Mixed-Sex Accommodation
Fewer patients are suffering the indignity of staying in mixed-sex accommodation, according to new figures released. Since December 2010, when the monthly collection of mixedsex accommodation data was introduced, the number of breaches has dropped from 11,802 to 2,011 – a decrease of 83 percent. In May 2011, hospitals reported that 2,011 patients were placed in mixedsex accommodation without any justifi...
EU News
Council of the European Union Reaches Conclusions on Innovation in Medical Device Sector
After a meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg on the 6th June 2011 the Council issued its conclusions on innovation in the medical device sector. Taking into consideration the major long-term societal changes facing Europe, which will call for innovative healthcare systems, the Council of the European Union recognises the important role medical devices...
EU Funds Further Learning for Nurses
Qualified nurses seeking extra support in learning how to deal with people who are very distressed and disturbed can now take a course. Researchers led by Professor Mary Chambers of Kingston University and St George's, University of London in the United Kingdom developed a new course for nurses, helping them use effective and ethically sound approaches. Partial funding for the project was granted by the EU...
EU Affairs
Digital Health
Over 90 percent of Europe's hospitals are connected to broadband and 80 percent have electronic patient record systems, but only 4 percent grant patients online access to those records. The findings emerge from an extensive investigation for the European Commission's Information Society and Media Directorate-General into the use acute hospitals make of e-health services. The report, eHealth Benchmarking...
Patient-Centred Management
Putting Patients First
With this issue's cover story on patient-centred management, who better to talk to than Tomasz Szelagowski, Board Member of the European Patients' Forum (EPF) and General Director of the Federation of Polish Patients. (E)Hospital spoke to Mr. Szelagowski to find out the main issues affecting European patients and what hospital managers can do to improve patient experience.Firstly, Tell Us a Bit About the E...
Care Pathways: Customising Care to Meet the Changing Demands of Today's Patients
The healthcare sector is undergoing major reform. Many shifts in practice and organisation are happening simultaneously. The role of patients is changing, moving from a more passive position into active consumers of care. Patients want to be informed and involved and there is growing attention to quality and safety. The main driver for these changes comes from the « to Err is human » report from the In...
Tackling Undernutrition in Hospitalised Patients: The Belgian Experience
Undernutrition is frequent but often unrecognised in hospitalised patients with nutritional status deteriorating during their stay. Consequences for undernourished patients include higher risks of infection, complications and an increased length of stay. This in turn is costly for healthcare institutions. Nutritional screening can improve both patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness.Definition Malnutritio...
Financing
Capital in the City
The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies has published two sister volumes on the issues of capital investment in hospitals in Europe (see box). This article highlights two key aspects of the study – the encroachment of market principles into what is still largely a public sector-dominated activity and the financing models being increasingly used. There is an inherent paradox in reviewing...
Matrix
Hospital Mergers: Managing Complex Change in a Complex Environment
Hospital mergers are an increasingly common phenomenon in the healthcare sector but how can we successfully manage such radical changes? (E)Hospital spoke to Dr. Soki Choi, a consultant, teacher and researcher from the Karolinska Institute to find out more about the topic. Dr. Choi performed an extensive study of the flagship merger of two Swedish university hospitals: The Karolinska Hospital and the Huddi...
Prescribing Efficiency
Enhancing Prescribing Efficiency Through Increased Utilisation of Generics at Low Prices
Pharmaceutical expenditure is increasingly scrutinised across all sectors due to its rapid growth outstripping other components of healthcare. This growth has been driven by well-known factors. These include changing demographics, strict clinical outcome targets, rising patient expectations, continued pressure from pharmaceutical companies and the continued launch of new expensive drugs. Unsustainable gr...
The Obstacles to Safe Medication Administration
In Norwegian hospitals pharmaceuticals are put out to tender in order to save costs. Each year a list of the hospital's drugs is prepared based on the results of these tenders. This article describes the practical consequences of this procedure, based on a study among hospital nurses. The results showed quite unanimously that the nurses were concerned about the current system as they encountered an increas...
Interview
Overview of Healthcare in the United Kingdom
Healthcare in the United Kingdom (UK) is mainly provided by the National Health Service, a public health service, which provides healthcare that is free at the point of use to all permanent residents of the UK, and is paid for from general taxation. Though the public system dominates healthcare provision in the UK, private healthcare and a wide variety of alternative and complementary treatments are availa...
Modernising the NHS: Health and Social Care Bill 2011
Like all European countries the UK was hit hard by the financial crisis. Since its formation, the new coalition government has announced widespread cuts across public sector spending. Although the healthcare budget was exempt, the government announced plans in January 2011 to modernise the National Health Service in the hopes of improving care and making long-term financial savings. The modernised NHS is...
The Institute of Healthcare Management
The Institute of Healthcare Management (IHM) is the professional organisation for managers throughout health and social care in the UK, including: the NHS; independent providers; healthcare consultants and the armed forces. IHM's focus is improving patient/user care wherever and whenever they need healthcare. The route to achieving this is through the promotion of excellence in healthcare management. The...
French
Editorial
Une Europe Plus Forte L'europe doit actuellement faire face à de grandes difficultés. Nous souffrons toujours des effets de la crise économique et financière et les discussions concernant la dette publique dans les États membres contraignent encore nos activités. Une gestion de crise est nécessaire. Il fondamental que l'Europe reste pour tous un modèle réussi qui place au sommet de ses valeurs la...
AEDH News
AEDH : Les Premiers Résultats D’un Nouveau Souffle Le Conseil d'administration de l'Association européenne des directeurs d'hôpitaux s'est réuni pour la première fois après les élections et sa nouvelle constitution lors du congrès de Zurich en 2010. Cette 92ème réunion dans l'histoire de l'AEDH s'est tenue le 20 mai 2011 au secrétariat général, à Bruxelles. C'est le nouveau préside...
Executive Summaries
Putting Patients First », Le Patient Au Centre Des Soins De Santé Le Forum des patients européen (European Patients' Forum, EPF) a été fondé en 2003 afin de devenir « la voix des patients » au niveau européen, manifestant la solidarité, la puissance et l'unité du mouvement des patients en Europe. Ses cinq objectifs stratégiques sont l'égalité d'accès, l'implication des patients et la prise...
Deutsch
Editorial
Ein Stärkeres Europa Diese Zeit ist geprägt von erheblichen Problemen und Herausforderungen in Europa. Noch immer leiden wir unter den Folgen der Wirtschafts- und Finanzkrise. Die Diskussionen um die Verschuldung der öffentlichen Haushalte in den Mitgliedsstaaten dominieren das Geschehen. Krisenmanagement ist erforderlich. Dabei wird es darauf ankommen, dass dabei die Gesamtperspektive für Europa als E...
EAHM News
EAHM: Erste Ergebnisse Unserer Neuen Direktion Erstmals seit seiner Wahl und der Neuformierung nach dem Kongress 2010 in Zürich ist der Vorstand der Europäischen Vereinigung der Krankenhausdirektoren (EAHM) zusammengekommen. Diese 92. Sitzung fand am 20. Mai 2011 im Generalsekretariat in Brüssel statt. Es war Aufgabe des neuen Präsidenten, Hrn. Heinz Kolking, alle Delegierten der 17 Ländervereinigun...
Executive Summaries
Die Patienten an erster Stelle Interview mit Tomasz Szelagowski, Vorstandsmitglied des Europäischen Patientenforums (EPF) Das EPF wurde im Jahr 2003 gegründet und entwickelte sich in weiterer Folge EU-weit zur Stimme aller Patienten. Darin manifestiert sind die Solidarität, Macht und Einheit der EUweiten Patientenbewegung. Die fünf strategischen Ziele lauten: gleicher Zugang für alle Patienten, Bete...